Skeptic Project

The New York Times recently ran a piece that basically talked about how the History Channel had departed from its original purpose and that it reflects the American public's inability to find any entertainment value in anything vaguely intellectual or historical in nature. And it hasn't been a recent trend either. The 2012 stuff was preceded by a lot of "End Times" and "Bible Code" garbage as well as UFO files and UFO hunters. Its a lamentable fact, and perhaps intricately tied into the fact that most americans actually do fall fo Conspiracy Theory logic and pseudoscience. Afterall, if it was on History Channel it has to be fact, right?

The History channel is definitely a shadow of it's former self. It's filled with tons of garbage, and ICE ROAD TRUCKERS for some unknown reason. I do enjoy the holiday specials they have, like the history of Halloween and they have a few good documentaries every once in awhile... but overall not much worth watching on that channel. At least for it's historical value.

Edit: Falkner, do you have a link to that article by chance? I'd like to give it a read.

History Channel has totally gone to shit. It's sad. So much of their stuff is conspiracy theories, wild speculation and unfounded crap.

A while back I remember a show called something like "The Plot To Kill Hitler That Almost Worked!" or something sensationalistic like that. The show dramatized a British military plot to assassinate Hitler. They showed them interviewing the assassins, getting them into Germany, getting them behind the lines, etc. The last scene of the show was the hit team creeping through the forest ready to strike. I like to think I know a lot about WWII but had never read about this, so I was thinking, "Hmm, why not?"

Well, as it turned out, they revealed in a title card at the very end of the show that it NEVER HAPPENED. The whole show was based on a couple of documents they found in a British file for a hypothetical assassination plot, sort of "What would we need to pull this off?" The plot was vetoed by the British intelligence service very early on. None of what you saw in the show happened at all, and they kept this from the audience until the last possible second.

As a historian, I think this is very shoddy, bordering on fraudulent. But this is the kind of crap they're doing.

When did what History Channal the Doomsday Channal?

I agree with Muertos. The only thing interesting on History Channel these days is Pawn Stars.

"GHOSTS AREN'T ANIMALS!"

That's what they WANT you to think.

Bigfoot and the Greys are both charter members of the Bilderberg group. Ghosts are just fucking assholes.

Oh sil, I cant find the article now, but I'll keep searching my folders. It was one I actually printed out for something.

I like the Science Channel and the Military Channel. It seems like yeah, indeed, the History Channel has diverted into 2012, Nostradamus, Ancient Aliens, and other garbage. Every once in a while they'll show something decent, but that decent thing usually is on one of the other many A&E/BBC network channels. Most recently the show "Top Shot" really made me roll my eyes. It was like Big Brother but everyone is in a shooting contest, and unfortunately they're not shooting each other. It was a cesspool of mellow-drama and one of the worst content shows I've ever seen, I couldn't watch more than 10 minutes of it -- it lacked history, real or fraudulent, completely. What in the hell is Top Shot doing on the History Channel? It should be on CBS.

But Edward, now you can go to History Channel and watch reality TV. It has everything you need!

The Science Channel is the only reason I look forward to visiting home for the next week.